The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing solid golf balls, particularly solid golf balls having a solid core, such as two-piece golf balls and multi-piece golf balls having three or more pieces
Elastomeric bodies for golf balls are obtained by extruding fixed amounts of an unvulcanized rubber composition as slugs, and vulcanizing the slugs in a vulcanizing mold. The surfaces of the slugs which have been cut to a fixed size are sticky, giving the slugs a tendency to clump together. Accordingly, it is desired that the slugs be coated on the surface with a parting agent so as to make the surface less sticky. Yet, because the unvulcanized rubber composition from which elastomeric bodies for golf balls are to be obtained undergoes a decline in resilience and becomes difficult to work when exposed to moisture, it is undesirable to use a parting agent prepared by dissolution or dispersion in an aqueous solvent. There is thus a desire to use a powder such as talc as the parting agent. However, incorporating talc or the like within the rubber composition after vulcanization greatly lowers the durability of the finished golf ball to impact. Therefore, when talc or the like is used, the extruded slugs are collected and stored in small numbers per box.
JP-A 2001-334001 discloses “a golf ball manufacturing method which includes the step of applying rubber powder after vulcanization and curing.” Although this prior art does have the effect of preventing unvulcanized rubber from clumping together, it is ineffective on vulcanized rubber.